You want this used one: Wave to GTIs in the Hyundai i30 N

Autovisie is always looking for used cars for enthusiasts and therefore searches the lists on the sales site Gaspedal.nl. This time we found a sporty Korean: the Hyundai I30 N Fastback.

Hyundai launched the third generation i30 in 2016. The model has three body styles: there is a normal hatchback, a station wagon and a so-called fastback. The last two models were also sold as a sporty version under the ever-growing N label. These have a powerful 2.0-liter four-cylinder on board.

The Hyundai i30 N, a serious sports model

At Autovisie we know the Hyundai i30 N inside and out. After several tests and after driving the car for six months as a long-term test, we know for sure. “It still takes some getting used to seeing Hyundai as a provider of serious sports models, but it’s a fact,” we wrote previously.

“By bringing together the right people, taking part in the toughest motorsport classes and having the courage to make decisions, the N label was created. Not a superficial marketing tool, but a well-thought-out enthusiast division within Hyundai that has the potential to develop into what GTI is to Volkswagen and RS is to Renault. Real? Naturally! These are big words, but the i30 N has put them into words.”

Really fast, but how fast?

One of the first uses of the i30 N took place at temperatures of 30 degrees and very dry outside air. These are not ideal conditions for a turbo block like the i30 N, but it still made an impression at the time. The engine produces 275 hp and 378 Nm. It sprints to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds.

“The Hyundai i30 N requires two gear changes for the standard sprint and one wonders why they weren’t made a little longer to achieve an even better result. This acceleration is now 97.4 real kilometers. The change from 1 to 2 is smooth and precise, but from 2 to 3 it is a little less precise. The transmission doesn’t engage this gear as precisely, while the 4 Series engages it with determination. The shift lights centrally located in the instrument cluster are practical, allowing you to continue to look ahead when changing gears through the fine gear. At a calibrated 260.0 km/h (in 6), the top speed is well above the stated 250 km/h.”

The used car Hyundai i30 N

We’ve driven the i30 N as a hatchback many times in all of our testing, but the Fastback is just as beautiful a car. This car has the same specifications but is fourteen kilos heavier than its sleek roofline sibling.

However, there are differences, as the Fastback’s chassis is more comfortable compared to the hatchback. The bump stops are longer, the rubbers in the suspension are softer, the suspension is softer and the stabilizer on the front axle is thinner. This means the i30 N Fastback rolls a little more in the corners, but you get something in return on short bumps and cobblestone streets. The Fastback is sharp, but not as unforgivably harsh as the hatchback.

Autovisie finds such a powerful fastback as a used car. The model has been on public roads since 2019 and has less than 60,000 kilometers on the clock. The example is richly equipped, including mother-of-pearl paint – which is very similar to Audi’s “Nardo Grey” – extra tinted glass and a sliding/tilting roof. The seller is asking 29,935 euros for the fast Korean. A lot of money for a Hyundai, but with this i30 N you get off the lights a little faster than with a Golf GTI from 2018 (0 – 100 km / h in 6.4 seconds).